PHOENIX - Come on out on Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1, for the FREE Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo, held on the 1,600-acre grounds of the world-renowned Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix.

Arizona’s largest hands-on outdoor expo offers loads of fun activities, exhibits and educational presentations for the entire family:

• See live wildlife (hawks, owls, reptiles, more)
• Learn target archery
• Take the kids to the huge catch-and-release fish tanks
• Hike a nature/hunter education field course
• Try out shooting sports in a safe, controlled environment on the shooting range
• See camping demos and get tips on the best ways to set up a camp
• View off-highway vehicle displays and pick up tips on responsible riding
• Arizona Boat Show - boating displays and tips on watercraft recreation and safety
• Try out specialty shooting sports – cowboy action, black powder, practical pistol, trap/skeet, more
• Get hunting, fishing and wildlife-viewing tips from local experts
• Watch cowboy action shooters and mounted cowboy shooters in thrilling displays and competition
• Attend presentations on wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation
• Visit with more than 150 exhibitors and vendors

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 31, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 1.

Best of all, admission and parking are free! You might want to bring a little cash for food and beverages, or for the nominal ammunition charge at some of the shooting venues (for those who want to try out firearms on the range), or if you wish to purchase outdoor products from the variety of vendors who will be exhibiting at the Outdoor Expo.

Gold sponsors of the Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo are Cabela’s and Airpark Dodge/Ram/Chrysler/Jeep.

The Ben Avery Shooting Facility is located at 4044 W. Black Canyon Blvd. in Phoenix (located on Carefree Highway, about 1/2 mile west of I-17 – just follow the signs).

The Arizona Game and Fish Department manages for all wildlife in Arizona but does not receive any Arizona tax dollars. The Department is run on a user-pay, user-benefit business model, with funding coming primarily from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses/tags/stamps, a portion of federal excise taxes on certain hunting and fishing equipment, and a few other sources such as watercraft licensing/registration fees, OHV Decal fees, and the Heritage Fund (a portion of Arizona Lottery ticket sales). No Arizona tax dollars are used in conducting the Outdoor Expo.